The Lightyear One, a solar-powered car that can drive for months without charging, is expected to make its debut on public roads this summer, according to a date for initial deliveries shared on the vehicle’s reservation page and coverage by the Independent. Described as the “world’s most efficient and sustainable” vehicle in the world, Lightyear had proven last month that the car can travel for 248 miles at a speed of 80 MPH without a charge, with maximum travel distances exceeding 434 miles at lower speeds. The Lightyear One has a price tag of €150,000 (around $170,000).
Solar-powered car that can ‘drive for months without charging’ to hit roads this summer (Independent)
- The Lightyear One drove 400km (248 miles) at 130kph before needing to recharge during tests in the Italian town of Aprilia last month. Previous tests carried out at a lower speed saw the electric car travel more than 700km.
- The Lightyear One will not be the first commercial solar-powered car to make it to market, though it will be the first four-wheeled car capable of carrying more than one passenger.
- Aptera’s Never Charge three-wheeled car boasts a range of up to 1,600km, however is only able to capture enough energy from the Sun to charge 6 kilometres per day in sunny conditions. It is more modestly-priced than the Lightyear One, at $26,000.
Designed for independence (Lightyear One)
- Lightyear One is a long range solar electric vehicle designed to be grid independent and to drive anywhere.
- Its unique vehicle architecture and technology have been developed with high efficiency in mind, allowing Lightyear One to consume only 83 Wh/km — two to three times less energy than any other electric vehicle on the market today.
- This results in an exceptional range of 725 km (WLTP) with the lowest emissions, the lowest charging frequency, and 7,000 to 20,000 kilometres of free, effortless, and clean solar range every year.